You Think You Understand
by copper-28
Summary: The Doctor fetches Jack for MDay. This is kind of linking my two fanfics 'You Can But Hope' and 'New Beginnings' but you can read it on its own – I think it'll make some sense.


**This is kind of linking my two fanfics '_You__Can__But__Hope__'_ and '_New__Beginnings__' _but you can read it on its own – I think it'll make some sense. It's set in between Series 3 and 4 of Torchwood and just after Donna's lost her memory and gone home (I can't remember the name of the episode… potts14 is going to murder me.) Bit fluffy with Janto and a little bit Doctor/Donna. Enjoy!**

**x**

It was getting dark by the time Jack had started to trudge back towards civilisation. This planet he'd been on for the past 160 years was going into meltdown. The whole system would soon collapse and its entire population would be transported across the galaxy to live new lives. When it got dark things got rough. Jack usually died a few times on his way back to his tiny living quarters. He lived in the middle of town, down a back alley where the landlord was kindly letting him stay in a small unused cellar. It wasn't much but Jack didn't care. He hadn't cared about anything for thousands of years.

His old boots made loud thumps as he walked across the red tinged grass towards the lights of the city and his coat dragged along the floor. His old one had long since worn away. This new one was lighter, longer and all the wrong shade of blue. It didn't make him feel safe like the old one. It didn't hold as many memories – both happy and sad.

_Ianto__would__have__found__him__another__RAF__coat._

The thought sent cold shivers down his spine and his legs stopped moving. He slid his eyes closed and took deep breaths, the contrast of the warmth against the cold air sending clouds of steam towards the sky. He often thought of his Welsh lover from the 21st centaury. Ianto was the reason he no longer cared. Ianto had died and Jack had fallen to pieces. The former time agent sighed, and reluctantly opened his tired eyes. Wishing wouldn't bring him back. Jack knew that much. He was going to have to wait until the end of his days and hope against hope that he would see that gorgeous arse again.

He started to move, planning to flick through his photos of his time with Ianto Jones for the millionth time when a sound so familiar began to seep into his ears. The grass around him swayed in the wind and a patch in front began to flatten with an invisible weight.

When the blue box became visible Jack backed away, waiting for the Doctor to appear.

The doors opened and out stepped the tall skinny man.

"Jack."

"Doc."

They both stared at one another, neither willing to be the next to speak.

"What do you want." Jack spat after a few minutes of silence. 

The Doctor sighed, running one hand through his hair and leaving it to rest against the back of his neck. "I came to fetch you."

Jack snorted. "What right do you have to '_fetch_' me? I'm not an object; you can't just dump me and pick me up when ever it suits you. I live here. I have a life here. It's not much of one but it's all I have."

"Torchwood needs you." The Timelord said quietly.

Jack bristled and the word, his hands balled up into fists. "Torchwood needed you once but you never came then did you? Why should I go back? There's nothing there for me. My reason for living is gone. He died in Thames House when you didn't show up."

The Doctor broke eye contact, gazing at the town in the distance. "Jack, I…"

"Save it. I don't care anymore. You know what I want and if you can't give it to me then I just don't care, do you understand that?"

"You've had thousands of years to get over him…"

"Get over him? It's not something I can just get over!" Jack roared, his teeth gritted so hard he could taste blood.

"No, and you never will but you can forget abo…"

"Don't you fucking dare." Jack hissed, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. The Doctor froze, watching the immortal with wary eyes realising the error in his words.

"I didn't mean…"

"I don't give a shit about what you meant. You still said it. The one thing he asked for was not to be forgotten. I am not going to forget Ianto Jones." The Doctor went to speak again but Jack held up a hand to silence him, "No. I'm going to tell you this and then you can speak alright?"

The Doctor nodded slowly.

"I loved him. He's gone and I never told him how much I loved him. How do I keep going? Do you understand that? Have you ever felt like half of you has been blown to pieces? I have nothing left. I'm just waiting for that day that's never going to come. I'm waiting to see him again. We have different ways of coping. After Donna you kept yourself busy. You find problems and you fix them. I just exist. I'm waiting for the moment I die so I can pretend just for a second that I'll be with him again. You forget I'm so much older than you. I've seen so much and lived alongside so many people and I'm tired Doctor. I just want him back." Jacks voice broke at the end of his outburst and he fought against the tears that threatened to spill. He avoided the Doctors gaze and just stood there in the cold with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

The Doctor sniffed, turning on his heel to march back into the TARDIS, the door clicking softly behind him.

Jack allowed a few of the tears to run down his cheeks. Taking a deep breath, he turned to leave, his eyes un-focused and blurry.

"Wait." The Doctor's voice cut through the air.

"What." Jack spat, not bothering to turn round.

"Ianto told me to give this to you."

Jack stopped breathing, fighting against his need to turn around. He breathed slowly, getting himself under control.

When he did turn he just couldn't keep the sobs back.

There in the Doctors hands was an RAF coat. The one that he had worn so many times with Torchwood; with Ianto.

The Doctor smiled gently. He held out the coat for Jack to take. The Immortal stepped forwards, hugging the coat against his chest.

"Where did you find this?" He asked between sniffs.

"I told you. Ianto asked me to give it to you."

Jack stiffened. "Don't play games with me."

The Timelord shook his head. "Just wait. Let me tell you this and then you can speak alright?" He said, repeating Jacks earlier words.

Jack nodded reluctantly.

"Good. I know exactly how you feel Jack. I lost Donna –"

"-But she didn't die did she?"

"- And it felt like my whole world had fallen from the sky. I'll find a way to get her back. I know I will. But that's not the point of me being here. I'm here because Ianto asked me to come. I visited back in the Torchwood days. When you were off saving the world with me. He didn't know whether to smack me or hug me. Instead he offered me coffee. We sat there for a while, watching the world go by when he asked me this. 'Could you go forward in time when I'm dead and gone and give Jack this?' He held out that coat and I took it. He said, 'Tell Jack that whatever happened it wasn't his fault and if it was then I forgive him. Tell him to get on with his long life and don't waste too much time mourning me. If he remembers me that is.' Then Ianto Jones looked at me with fire in his eyes. 'Tell him I love him.' I nodded and smiled. He got up to leave then. There was a weevil loose in Splott. He turned back for a second and said to me, 'Oh by the way… Jack's far from wrong.'"

The Doctor watched Jack carefully; the Immortal had said nothing else. Only stood with distant eyes.

Jack swallowed nodding reluctantly. "I'll get my things." He said tiredly.

"I'll be here." The Doctor leant against the old blue box and waited.

-x-

Jack appeared inside the TARDIS, a rucksack hanging from one hand. He trudged inside, followed by the Doctor, and dumped it onto the seat.

"What's in that then?" The Doctor asked.

Jack glanced at him before answering. "Photographs, Memories, a tie, a stopwatch, a bag of coffee, a bottle of whisky and two mugs."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He darted about the console while Jack sat motionless.

"You really love him don't you?" The Doctor commented.

Jack smiled half-heartedly. "More than anything."

The Doctor nodded, turning his attention back to the controls.

When the TARDIS shuddered to a halt Jack stood up.

"I'll be seeing you then." He said quietly.

The Doctor nodded. "I guess so. Aren't you taking that?" He asked, nodding towards the bag on the sofa.

Jack shook his head. "Torchwood is dangerous. I can't afford to loose those. Look after them for me."

The Timelord nodded.

A loud sigh escaped Jack's lips. "I hope you dragged me back here for something important." He said with a slight hit of enthusiasm, "At least it'll keep me busy."

"It's called Miracle Day. Can't tell you much else – timelines and wibbly wobbly stuff. You've got an abandoned apartment to work from and everything you'll need at first is there. Do what you think you should and you can't go wrong." The Doctor grinned.

"I went wrong before."

"Stop it." The Doctor growled, glaring at the grieving Immortal. "Stop pulling yourself down. He didn't want that. Things will get better, sooner than you think. I promise."

Jack frowned. "Eh?"

The Doctor smiled, shoving Jack out of the TARDIS doors and into the dark street. "You'll find out. I learned something recently. You know that saying two wrongs don't make a right? It's utter rubbish. Two wrongs make it perfect."

With that, the Doctor left Jack standing bewildered in the night with a faint long forgotten feeling of hope stirring in his stomach.

**X**

**Hope you liked it! **


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